Holiday tragedy: British mother-of-three, 34, suffocates and is found by her daughter, 14, six weeks before her wedding during a ‘memorable’ trip to Turkey in preparation for her fiancé’s cancer treatment

A heavenly family vacation ended in tragedy when the mother of three suffocated and was found by her teenage daughter just six weeks before her wedding day during an unforgettable trip ahead of her fiancé’s cancer treatment.

Bride-to-be Sophie Runkee, 34, and her fiancé Jj Warner, from Hull, had gone on a summer holiday to Turkey with their three children – including their 11-week-old son – before Jj began treatment for skin cancer.

The holiday was meant to give the young children a chance to create beautiful memories together after Jj was diagnosed with cancer. But their once-in-a-lifetime trip turned into a nightmare after Sophie’s lifeless body was found on the balcony of their hotel apartment.

It is believed that the mother, who had no travel insurance, had become unconscious after a night out and choked on her vomit.

Sophie and Jj enjoyed a last minute holiday with children Alicia, 14, Tommy, 9, and baby Luca, but on July 11th, Sophie and Alicia headed out for some mother-daughter time. They danced the night away together in the local bars, while Ji stayed with the boys.

It is believed Sophie lost consciousness and choked on her vomit before her fiancé attempted CPR.

Jj said: ‘We all had a great time on holiday in Turkey. We wanted the children to remember this summer for the right reasons, despite everything that’s going on.

‘Sophie went out on Thursday night. She was upset about my diagnosis, so I encouraged her to go out with Alicia to blow off some steam while I looked after the boys. She just wanted to forget about everything and have a nice evening with her daughter.’

He said his future wife had “had too much to drink” before returning to the apartment, collapsing on the balcony and choking on her vomit.

Tragically, it was Sophie’s teenage daughter Alicia who was the first to find her mother’s lifeless body on the balcony.

In a desperate attempt to save Sophie’s life, Jj rushed to her side, cleared her airway and began CPR.

Miraculously he managed to bring her back but all hope was short lived as her pulse was weak and she had to be rushed to the hospital.

Sadly, there was nothing more the doctors could do to save Sophie’s life and she died just 24 hours later.

Jj continued: ‘It’s hard to put into words what happened, we’re all still in shock. Sophie was not only my wife (-to-be), she was also my best friend.

Sophie’s fiancé Jj Warner said the holiday was meant to be a ‘memorable trip’ after he was diagnosed with skin cancer and is due to undergo treatment soon

“We were together 24/7, we were never, ever, ever apart. I don’t know what I would do without her,” he said, calling her his “soulmate” and “a phenomenal mother.”

“We both had pretty violent lives, so we understood each other on a level that no one else could understand,” he added.

Sophie and Jj were due to get married in Scotland in six weeks after moving the wedding forward following his diagnosis with skin cancer.

Now he has to provide for his family on his own and also fight cancer.

Jj said: ‘My only concern is to look after those children – if I die, they will have no one. They have lost their mother, their world, on holiday in a foreign country and then in three weeks I start cancer treatment. They don’t deserve any of this.

Sophie had no travel insurance and Jj now faces unexpected hospital bills and the cost of transporting Sophie’s body back to Hull for burial.

Sophie’s best friend, Jenny Phillips, has set up a GoFundMe page to support Jj and the children.

Jj paid a heartbreaking tribute to Sophie, saying: ‘My darling angel, the love of my life, nothing will ever be the same.

‘You will be in our hearts forever, we will miss you forever, I will be buried with you when it is my time and we will be together again.

‘Until then, I promise to take care of our babies for the rest of my life and to do my best to do it just as well as you did.

“You will always be their mother, no one will ever be able to take your place.”